Affiliation

House

Loyalty

"The Dark Lord will rise again, Crouch! Throw us into Azkaban; we will wait! He will rise again and will come for us, he will reward us beyond any of his other supporters! We alone were faithful! We alone tried to find him!"

First Wizarding War

He and Bellatrix eventually married sometime before 1971[4] and both took the Dark Mark, fighting in the First Wizarding War. She married him only to uphold her family's tradition of marrying respectable pure-bloods. She was obsessively in love with Lord Voldemort and spoke to him in a romantic manner instead. It is unknown how Rodolphus felt about her. However, the two did seem to work together effectively as Death Eaters.

Second Wizarding War

In 1996, the Dementors of Azkaban revolted, and Rodolphus and Bellatrix escaped prison along with eight other Death Eaters, including his brother Rabastan to rejoin Voldemort, who had regained his powers and was stronger than before thanks to Wormtail and Barty Crouch Jr.

Battle of the Department of Mysteries

"We'll split into pairs and search, and don't forget, be gentle with Potter until we've got the prophecy, you can kill the others if necessary..."

During the Battle of Hogwarts the next year, Rodolphus lost his wife, who was killed by Molly Weasley. What happened to Rodolphus remained unknown during the battle but at some point he is imprisoned again for his crimes.

Post War

Sometime in between the war's end and 2020, Rodolphus escaped from Azkaban (as he was guilty of using the Cruciatus Curse on the Longbottom couple, therefore ineligible for release) and sought out the daughter of his former master, Delphini.[7] Rodolphus revealed Delphi's heritage to her and it is currently unknown what has become of him, as he didn't appear to be involved with Delphini's plan to use Albus Potter to bring back Lord Voldemort.

Physical appearance

Rodolphus was a tall, thin man with a blank stare and very dark hair, and after being in Azkaban his looks might have diminished. As a Death Eater, he bears the Dark Mark on his left inner forearm, which has since faded to a scar upon Voldemort's death.

Personality and traits

Rodolphus was one of Voldemort's most loyal Death Eaters and therefore can be considered to be sadistic and a pure-blood supremacist. His crime against the Longbottoms confirms his willingness to use the Dark Arts to an unspeakable extent. He was not at all concerned about being sent to Azkaban as he "stared blankly" throughout the course of his trial. He did not show any dislike for his wife having an affair with Voldemort, and even went onto notifying their daughter, Delphini, on her heritage and destiny. He didn't talk very often and, unlike his wife, he seemed to be a serious person who barely even smiled.

Rodolphus stands to be a reasonably skilled wizard, as he managed to use the Cruciatus Curse to devastating effects, driving Frank and Alice to insanity. He also managed to escape from Azkaban in or before 2020, with apparently no outside help (though the guards at the time are no longer Dementors, but Aurors).

Magical abilities and skills

Dark Arts: Rodolphus was able to cast an effective Cruciatus Curse (which takes power, nerve, and ability to perform). He participated in driving Frank and Alice Longbottom into insanity.

Bellatrix once told Narcissa that if she had sons, she would "be glad to give them up to the service of the Dark Lord".[8]

No children appear beneath Bellatrix and Rodolphus's names on the Black family tapestry, indicating that she had no daughters with Rodolphus either.

It was later revealed that Bellatrix had a daughter named Delphini with Lord Voldemort. This indicates that Bellatrix didn't have much marital loyalty to Rodolphus at this time. It is entirely possible that Rodolphus approved his wife's relationship with their master, as the Lestrange's worshipped Voldemort, furthering that their relationship as a couple is strictly professional.

Delphi claimed that Rodolphus found her after many years of him being in prison. It is unknown what sort of relationship he had with his wife's daughter but it is possible that as Delphi was the daughter of Lord Voldemort, he may of had some level of respect for her. It is also possible that he taught her the dark arts and how to duel.

Etymology

Rodolphus is the Latin form of the name 'Rudolf', which is derived from the Germanic name Hrodwulf, meaning "famous wolf".[9] This may allude to prominent Nazi Rudolf Hess, as the Death Eater ideology has similarities to those of Nazism, according to J. K. Rowling.[10] Removing the l, Rodophus is Greek for 'Rosy-cheeked'.

Behind the scenes

J.K. Rowling has revealed that Bellatrix Lestrange's true love was Voldemort,[11] suggesting that the Lestranges' marriage was not affectionate, at least on the part of Bellatrix, who merely made "a respectable pure-blood marriage", as was expected of her. Rodolphus's feelings are not known.

Notes and references

↑Both Rodolphus and his brother Rabastan were of-age (17) by the end of the First Wizarding War in 1981, since they were tried on charges of capture and torture of Frank and Alice Longbottom, with no apparent aggravation for the use of underage magic.